Opening a restaurant in Chicago: grease trap + fire safety checklist
By Stew David · Updated October 29, 2026. This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Before you rely on any step, confirm it with the agency linked there.
1. Grease trap / interceptor
- Food businesses in Chicago discharge to sewers covered by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Sewage and Waste Control Ordinance. The ordinance regulates fats, oils and grease (FOG) and forbids adding physical, chemical or biological agents to grease traps to resuspend grease. MWRD ordinance (PDF)
- For Chicago's trap and interceptor rules, how often to pump, and local pumpers, see Chicago grease trap rules.
- Set up a pumping schedule before you open and keep every pumping record on site. When is my trap due?
2. Kitchen hood and fire safety
- NFPA 96 is the national standard for ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations. It covers hoods, grease ducts, and how often they are inspected and cleaned. NFPA 96
- Keep every hood cleaning report and fire-protection inspection tag.
- Hood cleaning, fire suppression, extinguishers and fire alarms each have their own due dates. Track them in one place with the free fire safety due-date tool.
3. License and health inspection
- You need a City of Chicago Retail Food Establishment license any time food is prepared, served, stored, sold or distributed from a fixed location. The fee depends on square footage. City of Chicago: Restaurants, Cafes, Grocery Stores, and Markets
- Steps: send your business information, get zoning approval, apply and pay, clear any City debt, then pass a Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) inspection. At least one person on site at all times must hold a City of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate.
- New food establishments must pass a CDPH health inspection before the license is issued. CDPH then assigns a risk level that sets how often you are inspected. CDPH: Health Code Requirements for Food Establishments
- The CDPH inspection checklist includes "Sewage & waste water properly disposed" and "Adequate ventilation & lighting".
- Restaurants with seating are inspected by the Department of Buildings before each license renewal. The license lasts two years.
4. After you open
- Keep grease pumping records, hood cleaning reports and fire inspection tags together. Inspectors ask for them.
- Get a free reminder before each due date: grease trap · fire safety.
Sources
- MWRD Sewage and Waste Control Ordinance · checked 2026-10-29
- NFPA 96 · checked 2026-10-29
- City of Chicago BACP: Retail Food Establishment license · checked 2026-10-29
- CDPH health code requirements · checked 2026-10-29
Thinking about enzymes or bacteria? MWRD bans additives that dissolve grease into the sewer. What the rule says